A social system in which a father is the head of the family, property ownership and surname are traced through the male line, and men have legal or social authority over women and children. A family, community, or society based on this or a similar system, or governed by men to a degree far out of proportion to their numbers.

Jane Doe: Can you believe patriarchy still exists after all our valiant struggles?

John Doe: What do you mean? Patriarchy doesn't exist! Sure, women make on average a lot less than men for the same work, and sure, there are very few women in positions of power in government and business, but at least now we let you vote and own property!

Jane Doe: But why didn't you take my last name when we married? Why are women still raped (outside of prisons) so much more often than men, and why do men so often inflict rape on others? Why do we still have a sexual division of labor, with some entire industries dominated by men and other industries, typically lower paid, staffed almost entirely by women? Why is it, when someone says "doctor" everyone thinks "man" and when they say "nurse" everyone thinks "woman?" The same is true of "construction worker" vs. "secretary," "engineer" vs. "stripper," "soldier" vs. "maid"... you name it! Why is it a scandal when a middle aged woman like Demi Moore marries a man in his twenties, but it's routine for rich old men in their 60s and up to marry barely legal young 'trophy wives?' It's so common it has it's own term!

John Doe: I guess you're right. Come to think of it, I've been trained to take on all sorts of patriarchal roles that I don't like myself! I've been trained to act like an automaton, to hide my feelings, to be "the provider" in an economy where two parents working is the norm, to go off and die in wars... you know, Jane, a lot of my anti-feminist anger is really unjustified! I've just been resentful of my own role within patriarchy, in such a misdirected way I couldn't even see it existed. I've been defending what I felt were privileges, but in fact were limitations. It's time for us to smash all forms of sexism, patriarchy - hell, even matriarchy if it ever crops up anywhere - together!

Jane Doe: Now you're talking! Let me get my hammer!

John Doe: You know, dear, this means you'll have to face the draft, too...

Jane Doe: True, sweetie, but there should be a lot fewer wars with patriarchy out of the way!

John Doe: Actually, love, capitalism, not patriarchy, is the root of imperialism and resource conflicts, which are the primary cause of modern wars...

The Urban Dictionary Mug

The bogeyman that feminists blame for women's problems or under-achievements because their big-girl pants apparently don't fit.

However Seeing as women are free to pursue any career they want, own any property they wish, attend any college they desire, are owning businesses and running corporations, actively involved in political power, engineering and science, are protected from discrimination by law and are openly praised for all this to cloying degree... We are NOT living in one and have not been for some time.

It is rumored that every man secretly receives a patriarchy check in the mail each month. Feminist scholars are still trying to confirm this.

The Urban Dictionary Mug

A rhetorical device which props up feminist ideology by making it easy to impose a state of collective guilt upon half the human race, namely the male half. Upon closer examination, we find that 'patriarchy' as a concept is either A.) Coherent only when too narrowly defined to be broadly useful, or B.) INcoherent when it IS broadly enough defined to be broadly useful.

Feminist ideologues promote the idea of patriarchy nonetheless, because they are banking upon the average person's lack of analytical discrimination -- rather like slipping a 'mind rape drug' into the punchbowl of common discourse. You might wake up with a weird feeling, but you have no idea that you've been screwed.

When radical feminists talk about 'patriarchy', it is actually a code word for Male Power of ANY sort whatsoever. So long as any man on earth has anything that could even vaguely be described as power (up to and especially the power of self-control), they wll say that patriarchy still exists, and that feminism's work is not finished. They want feminism to have a job for a good long time....

The Urban Dictionary Mug

n. A political and social system where money, property and status is passed along from father to son.

Many third-wave feminists will claim one cannot use the dictionary definition of the word but rather its actions. This includes but is not limited to: marketing through use of sexualized women's bodies, the "boy's club" mentality at workplaces, individual self esteem problems, creating a "rape culture," valuing merit and production over feelings and emotional labor, chivalry, complimenting a woman without her consent, raising boys to control their emotions, etc.

Ironically enough however, feminists will claim their movement cannot be judge by ITS actions, but rather by the dictionary definition.

B: So, A, you still looking for work?
A: Trying, but I can't get a job because of the patriarchy. They only hire men, its such sexist BS! How is it that in todays world men and women still aren't treated equally. Gender is a social construct!
B: You know the sanitation department is hiring. Its a city job so they can't discriminate against you and the pay is actually really good.
A: Ew. thats disgusting! They're called garbageMEN, not garbageWOMEN. I would never...
feminismsjwthird wave feminismfainting couch feminismchivalrywhite knightsemotional labor